Norris RUBBISHES Hamilton verdict after rapid McLaren improvements

Lando Norris has admitted he is bracing himself for a potential step backwards at McLaren despite their promising progress this year.

Norris and Oscar Piastri were able to challenge for podiums in recent races after a raft of upgrades to the MCL60, a stark contrast to their earlier struggles.

Having finished 17th in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia at the start of the season, Norris' turnaround was encapsulated by his consecutive podiums in Great Britain and Hungary, with only a rampant Max Verstappen pipping him to the chequered flag.

Team-mate Piastri has benefitted from a similar resurgence, leading to him agonisingly missing out on pole in the sprint race ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, and the team are hopeful of taking further strides after the summer break.

Norris, however, is remaining firmly level-headed and even expects a slight downturn in form, such is the rollercoaster nature of the current campaign.

READ MORE: https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/1001588/norris-would-love-to-compete-in-bonkers-motogp

Norris: 'I'm waiting for the down'

"We've improved the car a good three, four-tenths (of a second)," Norris told The Athletic. "Lewis told me one second.

"I'm like, 'What on earth are you talking about?' They have enough data to know it's not one second's worth.

"You've seen (it) with everyone. Ferrari were shocking in Silverstone. They've not suddenly made the car a second slower, you know?

"They were fighting Red Bull the weekend before. More than normal, I would say, every team seems quite up and down. We've had kind of just two ups.

"I'm kind of waiting for the down, in a way."

READ MORE: Norris SLAMMED for not sharing Verstappen's CHAMPION mentality with McLaren team-mate

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